Havas has reported its H1 financial numbers, recording a 0.6 per cent lift in revenue to €1.416 billion (about AU$2.31 billion).
The French holdco made a particular song and dance about its organic revenue growth, which grew 2.5 per cent in the half to €1.362 billion (AU$2.22 billion).
In Q1 2026, its net revenue stood at €638 million — a drop of 1.6 per cent. In Q2, however, it posted an impressive turnaround, growing 3.8 per cent to €724 million.
This growth was not spread equally throughout the world. Europe, which accounts for half of Havas’ net revenue saw organic growth at 0.3 per cent. France and the United Kingdom were slightly negative on an organic basis, other markets, such as Germany, Italy, Portugal, Poland, Netherlands and Sweden, were “more dynamic,” according to Havas, in both creative and media.
North America, which makes up 35 per cent of net revenue, saw 6.4 per cent organic net growth in Q2 2026 driven by both the Creative and Media segments. North America’s year-on-year performance remained particularly strong in the first half of 2026, at 6.9 per cent, despite some impact at Havas Health related to a number of molecules that did not advance to launch following Phase III trial outcomes.
Asia-Pacific, meanwhile, which accounts for 8 per cent of net revenue, shrank 3.5 per cent in Q2.
The region continued to be impacted by China, albeit to a lesser extent than in the first quarter, and by the Middle East, where the decline continued in the second quarter in connection with the geopolitical conflict over the period. India remained strongly positive. Organic growth came out at -4.8 per cent for the first six months of 2026.
James Wright, Havas ANZ’s group CEO, told B&T about Australia’s performance that he was confident of a strong finish to the year.
“We have had a solid first half and looking to a strong end to the year. The investment we have made into tech and people is paying off and our new ‘deliberately different’ positioning is resonating with clients and talent,” he said.
“We truly believe that in this environment, scale alone is not a guarantee of competitive advantage. Our clients, as we can see, are increasingly expecting more integrated capabilities, more agility, and above all, measurable business outcomes. This is why we believe Havas is particularly well-positioned,” said Yannick Bolloré, CEO, Havas in a call with analysts.
“As you see on the charts, we define ourselves as the strongest challenger in the market. We are a stable, coherent and agile group with a clear strategy and our famous integrated model.”
